Does The Ivors Academy Have A Gender And Ethnicity Pay Gap?

The Ivors Academy, the UK’s professional association representing songwriters and composers, has published its first annual gender and ethnicity pay gap report.

The report is based on the pay of 14 members of staff, which is considerably under the Government threshold of 250 employees that requires companies to publish information about gender pay gaps, and no organisations in the UK are currently obliged to publish ethnicity pay gaps.

The Ivors Academy acknowledges that reporting on the pay of a small number of staff has challenges, as one or two employees can significantly alter the results.

As a result, the report includes figures excluding and including its chief executive Graham Davies, who identifies as a white male.

The tables below show the mean and median gender and ethnicity pay gaps at The Ivors Academy, excluding and including the chief executive’s salary, with comparisons to the national average.

This is based on a snapshot of staff pay on April 1 2021.

Excluding the chief executive’s salary:

Gender pay gap: mean = 0.1% / median = 17.2%

National average: mean = 17.3% / median = 35.3%

Ethnicity pay gap: mean = 32% / median = -11.6%

National average: mean = 26% / median = 21.7%

Including the chief executive’s salary:

Gender pay gap: mean = 19.4% / median = 21.6%

National average: mean = 17.3% / median = 35.3%

Ethnicity pay gap: mean = 38% / median = -11.6%

National average: mean =26% / median = 21.7%

Excluding the chief executive’s salary, the Academy does not have a mean gender pay gap and the median is significantly lower than the national average.

While there is a mean ethnicity pay gap, 6% above the national average, the Academy does not have a median ethnicity pay gap.

Including the CE’s pay, there is a gender pay gap – the mean is 2% above and the median is 14% below the national average.

The mean ethnicity pay gap increases by 6% by including the CEO’s salary, but calculated using the median, there is not an ethnicity pay gap.

Annual pay gap reporting is one part of the Academy’s action plan to champion equality, diversity and inclusion across all of its work.

The report includes a set of practical actions to support a diverse workforce and inclusive culture including reviewing how staff are recruited and developed, and supporting leadership development at the Academy.

"This report by The Ivors Academy is a fantastic example of how the music industry is leading the way to bring about significant change when it comes to creating a diverse workforce,” said UK music diversity taskforce chair, Ammo Talwar.

“The Ivors’ report clearly outlines gender and ethnicity pay gaps and the steps that it is already taking to improve equality, diversity and inclusion.

“Ensuring greater transparency around pay gap reporting is a key element of the Ten-Point Plan published by UK Music’s Diversity Taskforce last year. So, this report from the Ivors is extremely welcome and an example that we hope many others will follow. The more granular evidence that is published about pay gaps in the music industry and other sectors, the quicker we bring about positive change. It’s the type of equity that’s needed in 2021."

“The Ivors Academy are doing the work to see real change and equality in the music industry,” added Black Lives in Music chief executive, Charisse Beaumont.

“The disparities of pay experienced by black and ethnically diverse people in our society are unacceptable on every level; this is especially true concerning black women in the music industry.

“The pay gap report is a necessary tool not only to bring transparency over pay but to decrease and ultimately diminish the ethnic and gender pay gap which currently is prevalent across the entire musical ecosystem.

“The Ivors have shown themselves as leaders in this issue of transparency over pay and have demonstrated this by doing above what is legally required for an organisation of that size to do. My hope is other organisations will do the right thing and follow suit.”

Meenal Odedra, head of global operations at shesaid.so, said:

“We are absolutely thrilled to see that The Ivors Academy have published their Pay Gap Report. Their commitment to a more inclusive industry should inspire other organisations to do the same. In order to improve, we must be transparent about where work needs to be done. We hope to support our friends at the Ivors in their efforts to become a more diverse and inclusive organisation.”

Chair of The Ivors Academy’s ethics committee, Charlene Brown, added: “While annual Government gender pay gap reporting focuses on the largest firms, SMEs aren’t part of these figures yet account for three fifths of employment in the UK’s private sector.

“Given their importance in terms of employment I would encourage all SMEs in music to invest some time by reporting on their pay gaps, and importantly, identifying what they are doing to address them. I’m pleased that The Ivors Academy has taken this step and look forward to supporting further positive change.”